Radiofrequency map creation for data networks

Abstract

A Next Generation Data Network is described. It leverages the “cloud” for data management, frequency data computation and analytics. Training signals are transmitted in a number of different transmit directions and attempted to be received in a number of different receive directions in order to create a radio frequency map of transmit/receive directions that allow a communication path to be created between nodes of the network. The wireless network is a single frequency network that permits limited non-line-of-sight operation.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 configuring a transmit beam of a first node in a wireless network to transmit a signal at a plurality of first angles; 
 while the first node is transmitting the signal at each first angle in the plurality of first angles,
 configuring a receive beam of at least one other node in the wireless network to scan a plurality of second angles; and 
 configuring the at least one other node to measure signal parameters of the signal at each second angle in the plurality of second angles; and 
 
 calculating an RF map based at least in part on characteristics of the transmit beam at each first angle in the plurality of first angles, corresponding characteristics of the receive beam at each second angle in the plurality of second angles, and corresponding measured signal parameters at each second angle in the plurality of second angles. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the method of  claim 1  for each of the at least one other nodes. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first angles and the plurality of second angles include angles in three-dimensional space. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the transmit beam include beamforming parameters and transmit power. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the receive beam include beamforming parameters. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the measured signal parameters include a power and multipath parameters of the signal received at the at least one other node. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first node and the at least one other node are not line-of-sight. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising using the RF map to compute two or more routes for communication between the first node and the at least one other node. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the two or more routes include different beamforming parameters for the transmit beams and the receive beams. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the RF map includes one or more of a transmit beam angle, a receive beam angle, a transmit beam power, coding parameters, and modulation parameters. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising periodically updating the RF map. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , where the RF map is updated when traffic in the wireless network is below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first node includes two or more antenna elements, and wherein the transmit beam is formed using the two or more antenna elements. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one other node includes two or more antenna elements, and wherein the receive beam is formed using the two or more antenna elements. 
     
     
       15. A system, comprising:
 a wireless network including a plurality of nodes, wherein a respective node is configurable to:
 set a transmit beam to transmit a signal at a plurality of first angles; 
 set a receive beam to scan a plurality of second angles and measure signal parameters of a received signal at each second angle in the plurality of second angles; and 
 
 a server configured to:
 for each node in the wireless network,
 configure a transmit beam of the node to transmit a signal at the plurality of first angles; 
 while the node is transmitting the signal at each first angle in the plurality of first angles,
 configure the receive beam of at least one other node in the wireless network to scan the plurality of second angles; and 
 configure the at least one other node to measure signal parameters of the signal at each second angle in the plurality of second angles; and 
 
 calculate an RF map based at least in part on characteristics of the transmit beam at each first angle in the plurality of first angles, corresponding characteristics of the receive beam at each second angle in the plurality of second angles, and corresponding measured signal parameters at each second angle in the plurality of second angles. 
 
 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of first angles and the plurality of second angles include angles in three-dimensional space. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the characteristics of the transmit beam include beamforming parameters and transmit power. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the characteristics of the receive beam include beamforming parameters. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the measured signal parameters include a power and multipath parameters of the signal received at the at least one other nodes. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the node and the at least one other node are not line-of-sight. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the server is configured to use the RF map to compute two or more routes for communication between the node and the at least one other node. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the two or more routes include different beamforming parameters for the transmit beams and the receive beams. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the RF map includes one or more of a transmit beam angle, a receive beam angle, a transmit beam power, coding parameters, and modulation parameters. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the server is configured to periodically update the RF map. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 24 , where the RF map is updated when traffic in the wireless network is below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the node includes two or more antenna elements, and wherein the transmit beam is formed using the two or more antenna elements. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one other node includes two or more antenna elements, and wherein the receive beam is formed using the two or more antenna elements.